Choosing Simplicity: Real People Finding Peace and Fulfillment in a Complex World (Paperback)

~ (Author), Vicki Robin (Foreword)
Key Phrases: rural simplicity, environmental champions, starting out simply, The Pierce Simplicity Study, Having Enough, Turning Points (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

The popular press has recently held its magnifying glass up to what has been called the "simplicity movement." Pierce, founder of a three-year Simplicity Study that followed the lives of 211 people, takes a closer look with this book about her findings. Difficult to summarize, it is, nonetheless, an intriguing, if occasionally preachifying, treatise on the superior value of living with more integrity than money. For most collections.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"Choosing Simplicity is just what the doctor ordered for anyone thinking about simplifying their lives. Pierce successfully debunks the commonly held myths about the simplicity movement through the captivating stories of the everyday people who have done it. Meticulously researched and well written." -- Jacqueline Blix and David Heitmiller, authors of Getting a Life

"Linda Breen Pierce brings clarity and compassion to an insider's report on the simple life. Choosing Simplicity is filled with first-hand stories and insights of real people who describe their life-long process of discovering more soulful and sustainable ways of living." -- Duane Elgin, author of Voluntary Simplicity" and Awakening Earth

"Linda Breen Pierce brings home the importance of the personal story. Reading the stories of the people in her study is liberating and exhilarating! We can't change alone, and even if you have no "simplifiers" in your life, these people can become your mental and emotional community-inspiring you to live more fully and more in harmony with the Earth. Read the book a little each day and you'll find yourself changing in profound ways." -- Cecile Andrews, author of Circle of Simplicity

"People often ask me, 'Is it really possible to simplify your life?' The real life stories in Choosing Simplicity prove that it is possible. And they show the many and varied ways choosing simplicity can lead to a more satisfying, rewarding, and fulfilling life. This book is an inspiration and guide for anyone who wants to live more simply." -- Elaine St. James, author of Simplify Your Life and Inner Simplicity

"Reading about all those who had succeeded in simplifying their lives gave us courage. Those of us who are seeking more creative ways to live need to know we aren't alone...the true stories in this book prove that we are members of a growing movement. This is an important, informative, inspiring and entertaining book. Must reading for anyone sincerely seeking meaningful and fulfilling alternatives to mainstream goals!" -- Hal Zina Bennett, Ph.D., and Susan J. Sparrow, coauthors of Follow Your Bliss

"You are in for a treat. The stories in this book are rich in texture and color, the warp on which you will find yourself weaving reflections about your own life.. . . Linda weaves her own experiences and insights throughout and brings a great deal of joy and respect to the telling of each story." -- Vicki Robin, coauthor of Your Money or Your Life, from the Foreword of Choosing Simplicity

"Choosing Simplicity is just what the doctor ordered for anyone thinking about simplifying their lives. Pierce successfully debunks the commonly held myths about the simplicity movement through the captivating stories of the everyday people who have done it. Meticulously researched and well written." -- Jacqueline Blix and David Heitmiller, authors of Getting a Life<br /><br />"Linda Breen Pierce brings clarity and compassion to an insider's report on the simple life. Choosing Simplicity is filled with first-hand stories and insights of real people who describe their life-long process of discovering more soulful and sustainable ways of living." -- Duane Elgin, author of Voluntary Simplicity" and Awakening Earth<br /><br />"Linda Breen Pierce brings home the importance of the personal story. Reading the stories of the people in her study is liberating and exhilarating! We can't change alone, and even if you have no "simplifiers" in your life, these people can become your mental and emotional community-inspiring you to live more fully and more in harmony with the Earth. Read the book a little each day and you'll find yourself changing in profound ways." -- Cecile Andrews, author of Circle of Simplicity<br /><br />"People often ask me, 'Is it really possible to simplify your life?' The real life stories in Choosing Simplicity prove that it is possible. And they show the many and varied ways choosing simplicity can lead to a more satisfying, rewarding, and fulfilling life. This book is an inspiration and guide for anyone who wants to live more simply." -- Elaine St. James, author of Simplify Your Life and Inner Simplicity<br /><br />"Reading about all those who had succeeded in simplifying their lives gave us courage. Those of us who are seeking more creative ways to live need to know we aren't alone...the true stories in this book prove that we are members of a growing movement. This is an important, informative, inspiring and entertaining book. Must reading for anyone sincerely seeking meaningful and fulfilling alternatives to mainstream goals!" -- Hal Zina Bennett, Ph.D., and Susan J. Sparrow, coauthors of Follow Your Bliss<br /><br />"You are in for a treat. The stories in this book are rich in texture and color, the warp on which you will find yourself weaving reflections about your own life.. . . Linda weaves her own experiences and insights throughout and brings a great deal of joy and respect to the telling of each story." -- Vicki Robin, coauthor of Your Money or Your Life, from the Foreword of Choosing Simplicity<br /><br />"Choosing Simplicity is intelligent, beautifully written, and emphatically nonjudgmental." --Larry Roth, author of Beating the System

Choosing Simplicity is intelligent, beautifully written, and emphatically nonjudgmental. -- Larry Roth, author of Beating the System

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Product Details

• Paperback: 348 pages
• Publisher: Gallagher Press; 1st edition (January 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0967206715
• ISBN-13: 978-0967206714
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #93,271 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

107 of 112 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Take the time to read this one!, June 12, 2000

By	Quaker Annie "reader" - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

There are books on frugal living, cutting costs and you'll find plenty of those in here, or in any bookstore. But let's start with the premise that 21st century life for many people - especially those who can afford to browse the Internet, and shop on-line, is paced far too fast to be truly enjoyable. Read this book and you'll find personal stories of many people like you, like me, who have found ways to continue living in the world while bringing more meaning into their everyday lives. Not an instruction manual, not helpful hints for practical savings, it's an inspirational boost for those of us who know, in the back of our minds, that we are speeding PAST life at breakneck speed - while realizing that life is too precious and too short to live like we do.

129 of 142 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars The author's life situation makes simplicity do-able., June 7, 2005

By	Mom in Texas "mom 2 two" - See all my reviews

Yes, as soon as I read about the author's spiritual awakening to simplicity as she lived in Carmel, CA as her husband sold real estate in Carmel, this book was lost on me. I mean, get real, anyone can find an environmental awareness when you're living in one of the most beautiful places on earth, you're financially supported by your husband (marketing to those buying large, expensive oceanfront homes), and you're not worried about raising kids, driving carpool, working, or doing anything resembling the life that many of the rest of us have.

The stories presented of those who have made the leap to simplicity did not inspire me. They thought about it, quit their jobs, moved, started new jobs, wow, life is great. Again, having some financial freedom from periods of unemployment, money for downpayments on new apartments, money to relocate, money to eat, yea, it's easy to relocate across the country (or across the ocean) when you have no family and no dire financial considerations.

Save your money, unless reading about the wonderful lives of others makes you feel good. You will not receive any advice on how to live simpler. If you have a big bank account, no kids, and a working partner, then maybe this book might inspire you. For the working class raising kids, don't bother.

48 of 50 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Book to Begin the Year 2000, December 11, 1999

By A Customer

This is an inspirational book for anyone who has decided that life can be more content and meaningful by making a conscious decision to simplify. Many people are under the impression that living simply involves giving up all worldly goods and going to live in a one-room dwelling without electricity or running water. Linda Breen Pierce introduces us to mainstream Americans who have found a variety of ways to simplify their lives in order to have a more meaningful existence. Because of this her work has the potential of having more impact on those who read it than stories of people who take a more radical approach to simplicity. For those of us who have already decided to simplify our lives, she lends encouragement and comfort in the fact that we are not alone in our decision. This is an excellent book to begin the Year 2000 reading!